Flying-machine.



M. M. BBNSTBR.

FLYINGMAGHINE. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 5.v 1910.

Patented-May 21,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS M; M. BENSTBR. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.5. 1910. .I

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

Patented May. 21, 1912.

AM. gy l Y. I. `@MM5 .nI Br l Arm/mers M. M. BENSTER. FLYING MACHINE. IAPPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1910. 1 ,027,372. l Patented May 21, 1912.;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA LANGRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D. x1.V

Hrw

' M.'M. BENSTBR.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION A.FILED MAR.5, 1910.

Patented May 21, i912.

4 SHBETSfSHEET 4.

/1TTORNEY8 CULUMBIA PLANunRAPH Co.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

MENZO M. BENSTER, F GETYSBURG, SOUTH DAKOTA.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteainayai, 1912.

Application med March 5, 1910. serial No. 547,491.

and Improved Flyin g-Machine, of which thel following is a full, clear,andV exact description.

This invention relates to flying machines, and particularly to that typeknown as heavier-than-air vor aeroplane.

AnV object of this invention is to provide a flying machine which willbe simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, simple andeflicient in itsV operation, and easily directed.

A further object of this invention is to provide ka flying machine witha plurality of wings adapted to be swung through the air, tosimultaneously raise and propel the machine.

i V'A still further object of this invention is to provide a flyingmachine with propelling means, and with mechanism for Vdriving the same,said mechanism having an auxiliary driving connection whereby anaccidental W' breakage may happen without destroying the flight of themachine.

These and further objects, together with the construction andcombination of parts,

` will be more fully describedv hereinafterand particularly set forth intheclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding partsvin all the views, and in which-,-

VFigure 1 is a side view 1n elevation, with the outer disks removed forthe purpose of disclosing the underlying parts; Fig. .2 is aV top planview, with parts broken away -to s show the underlying structure; Fig. 3is a front end view in elevation; Fig. 4 is a vertical transversesection showing the mechanism for connecting the driving gearing, to thedisks; Fig. 5 is a vertical section illustrating the clutch forconnect-ing the propeller vwith the 'driving' mechanism; and Fig. 6 is adetail view, partly in section, showing the means for throwing intheauX- iliary drive.

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of the device, 1indicates the Y frame of the flying machine, which may be made of anysuitable light material, such as bamboo, hollow aluminum rods, or thelike,

`and formed in a manner to provide a strong and substantially rigidstructure. The frame 1 is suitably supported on a plurality of rollers 2and 2', the utility of which will be described hereinafter. Securedadjacent the top of the framek y1, intermediate the sides thereof, thereis provided a suitable supporting plane 3, whichl is preferably arcuatein form, and may be made of any suit-able. light materia-l, such asJapanese silk, oiled linen, or the like, stretched over a suitableframework. At each end of the figure. In order to produce this tiltingor swinging motion, the hoods k5 and 6 are provided with .arms 7 and 8,which are pivotally connected to rods 9 and 10. The rods A9 and 10 areconnected at their opposite ends to levers 11 and 12, pivotally securedin any well known manner to the frame 1, by which the rods 9 and 10 andthe hoods 5 and 6 are operated. Adjacent the bottom of the frame 1,subjacent the hoods 5 and 6 at each end of the flying machine, there areprovided additional` hoods 13 and 14, which are similar to the hoods 5and 6, and have arms 15 and 16 connected thereto, whereby they areoperated. The arms 15 and 16 are pivotally .connected to rods 17 and 18,which are also pivotally connected at their'opposite ends to levers 19and 20. It will thus be seen that by this means cach of the hoods 5 and6, 13 and 14 are independently operated by separate levers, so that theup andv down direction of the machine as a whole can be readilycontrolled to a nicety. p

In order to controlthe motion of the machine toward the right and left,there is pro- .videda vertical rudder 21, which isoperated by a lever22, connected thereto by means of a rod 23 and an arm 24.

In order to pro-pel the flying machine in a rotatably supported inbearings on the frame 1. The propeller shaft 26 (as is more clearlyillustrated in Fig. 5) is provided with clutch members 27, which areadapted to be engaged by pivoted clutch members 28 on a sleeve shaft 29.The opposite ends of the clutch members 28 areadapted to be forcedoutwardly in order that the clutch members 28 may engage the clutchmembers 27, by means of a cone 30, which is splined on the sleeve shaftThe cone 30 is operated by a wheel 31, which has a screw-threadedengagement 32 with a stationary support 33. By this means, the propellershaft 26 can be clutched at will to the sleeve shaft 29, which isconnected to the power motor in a manner to be described. rI he powersleeve shaft 29 is rotatably supported in suitable bearings in the frame1, and has secured at its opposite end a bevel gear 34. A bevel gear 35is formed on a driving member 36, loosely mounted on a shaft 54, and isalso provided with a sprocket wheel 37,whereby the driving member 36 isconnected to a suitable motor 38, preferably in the form of a gasoleiieengine, by means of a chain 39 and a sprocket wheel 40.

1n case the chain 39 should break, there is provided an auxiliarydriving connection between the member 36 and the motor 38. This consistsof bevel gears 41 and 42 connected respectively to the driving member 36and the power shaft of the engine 38, and a shaft 43 provided at eachend with bevel gears 44 and 45, which are adapted to mesh with the bevelgears 41 and 42. The mechanism for throwing the bevel gears 44 and 45into mesh with the bevel gears 41 and 42 is more clearly shown in Fig.6. The shaft- 43 is supported at its lower end on a member 46, which isadjustably secured in a support- 47. The shaft 43 is provided with acollar 48 which is engaged by a forked arm 49. of a bell crank lever 50,which is pivotally supported on the support 47. The fork of the arm 49engages on each side of the shaft 43, and is adapte-d to force it upwardby engaging with the collar 48. It will be seen that the lever 50 can bereadily manipulated to force the gears 44 and 45 into engagement withthe gears 41 and 42. It is to be noted that the member 46 isscrew-threaded and engages a corresponding screw-threaded opening in thesupport 47, and is further provided with a handle 51, whereby thismember 46 may be screwed into the support 47 to hold the shaft 43 in itsraised position, with the gears 44 and 45 in engagement with the gears41 and 42.

For the purpose of raising the machine bodily, additional means, in theshape of wings, is used. Considering this means, the shaft 54 hassecured at its outer end a disk or fly-wheel 55. On the opposite end ofthe shaft 54, there is provided a sleeve shaft 56, which also hassecured on its outer end a flywheel or disk 57. The shafts 54 and 56have splined thereon clutches 58 and 59, which are adapted to be forcedinto engagement with clutch faces 60 and 61 on the drive member 36, bymeans of springs 62 and 63. The clutches 58 and 59 can be thrown out ofengagement with the clutch faces 60 and 61 by means of levers 64 and 65,pivotally connected thereto in any well known manner. By this means, itwill be seen that the shafts 54 and 56 can be clutched to the member 36in any adjusted position relative to each other. At the rear end of theframe 1, there is provided a shaft 66, which is journaled in the frame 1in any well known manner, and is providedat its outer end with disks 67and 68, which are similar to the disks 55 and 57, and are connectedthereto by means of rods 69 and 70, so that they are driven in unisontherewith. All of the disks 55, 57, 67 and 68 are provided with slots71, extending through which in such a manner that they may be adjustedtoward and from the center of the disks, there are provided sleeveshafts 72. Secured to the sleeve shafts 72, there are arch frames 74, onwhich is supported the fabric for suitable wings 75, which preferablyextend downwardly at their outer ends beyond the frame 74, as indicatedat 76. It will thus be seen that as the disks or flywheels are rotated,the wings will be swung up and down in a, circular path, so as to raisethe machine, and also propel it through the air.

In order to aid the propulsion due to the wings, there are provided aplurality of shafts 77, which, in the case of the end` shafts, extendthrough the sleeve shafts 72. The portions of the shafts 77 which extendbeneath the wings are provided with blades 78 of a form adapted to swingin the arch of the wings. The blades 78 are so arranged that in theforward motion of the wings, they will extend substantiallyhorizontally, and will then be tilted to a vertical position, so that,on the rearward motion of the wings, they will exert a backward force onthe air, tending to propel the machine forward. For this purpose, theinner ends of the shafts 77 are provided with gears 79, which are of theproper dimensions to be rotated a quarter of a revolution when they comein contact with stationary racks and 81 suitably secured to the frame 1.By this means, the blades 78 will be swung from a horizontal position atthe end of the forward motion of the wings 75 to a vertical position, soas to remain in this position during the rearward movement of the wings,and will be revolved a quarter of a revolution at the end of therearward motion by the racks 81, so as to be again in a horizontalposition, offering little or no resistance to the forward motionthereof. The blades 78 are prevented from revolving backward whenexerting a propelling force 2- a pulley 83, which is driven from a convresponding pulley 84 on the engine shaft, by means of any suitableflexible connection 85, such as a rope, belt, chain, or the like. It isundesirable that the wheel 2 should be driven when the machine is in theair, and

v operator can thus, by manipulating the machine.

lever 87, control the feed of driving o-f the wheel 2 from'the engineshaft from no speedup to the maximum speed of the en.- gine.

In order that the flying machine may be properly guided when on theground, lso as to turn to the right or to the left, the front wheel 2 isswivelly connected to the frame,

and is provided'with an arm 88, shown in dotted in Fig. 3, which isadapted to be operated by a lever 89, which extends rearwardly to aposition adjacent the other levers on the machine, where it can bereadily manipulated by the operato-r.

The operation of the device will be readily understood when taken inconnection with the above description. When it is desired to use themachine, the wheel 2 can be driven, giving an initial propulsion Vto themachine, thereby traversing the machine along the ground. When asufficient momentum has been obtained, the machine can be raised fromthe ground by tilting both of the forward planes or hoods 5 and 13upwardly,'thereby lifting the frontend of the If sufficient force is notthus obtained to lift themachine from the ground,

the wings 75 can be actuated by throwingV in the clutches 58 and 59. Theclutches may be thrown in simultaneously, so as tohave both of the wings75 operated together, or one maybe thrown in first and the other thrownin later, so as to have the wings re` ciprccating in oppositedirections. In what- Y z ever way the wings are connected upto thedriving mechanism, however, the blades 78 will be actuated by means ofthe gears7 9 and the racks 80 and 81, to automatically tilt to ahorizontal positionion the forward c motion 'of the wings 75, andautomatically tilt back to a vertical position just before the rearwardmotion of the wings 75, thereby causing the blades to offer the leastresistance to the forward motion of the machine, and yet propelling themachine forwardly on their rearward stroke. The stroke of the wings 75can be increased or decreased by adjusting the sleeve shafts 72 in theslots 71. When once in the air, the up and down direction of the machinecan be controlled by the hoods 5, 6, 13 and 14, by means of the leversconnectedthereto. The horizontal direction can also be controlled by therudder 21. If, yby any chance, the drive chain 39 should break, theauxiliary driving mechanism, consisting of' the shaft 43 and the gears44 and 45, can be thrown into operation by means of the lever 53, thuspreventing the machine from hurtling to the ground. However, even if the.driving mechanism should break, the planes and wings being arcuate inform, will provide efficient parachutes to prevent the sudden fall of'the flying machine.

While I haveV shown one form of my invention, Ido not wish to be limitedto the specific details of the form shown, but de-v sire to be protectedin various changes, alterations and modifications which I ymay makewithin the scope of the appended claims. n Y

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent l 1. In a flying machine, the combination with aframe, of a supporting plane lon said frame, a plurality of wingsconnected to said frame on each side thereof and having a supportingsurface, means for Yoperating said wings, and blades adjustablyconnected to said wings and independent of said supporting surface.- f f2. In a flying machine, the combination with a supporting frame, of asupporting plane on said frame, a plurality of wings connected to saidframe on each side thereof and having a supporting surface, means foroperating said wings, blades connected. to said wings and independent ofsaid supporting surface, and means for positively shifting said bladesfrom a horizontal to a vertical position during the motion of saidwings.'

3. In a flying machine, the combination with a frame, of a motor on saidframe, a pair of disksV connected to said frame and operativelyconnected with said motor, a pair of disks operatively connected to saidfirst-mentioned disks, and wings adjustably connected to said disks. l l

4. In a flying machine, the combination with a frame, of a shaft in saidframe, a disk-connected to said shaft, a sleeve shaft ...ar s,

connected to said first-mentioned shaft, a disk connected to said sleeveshaft, wings connected to said disks and adapted tobe operated thereby,and means for operating said shafts.

5. In a flying machine, the combination with a frame, of a shaftconnected to said frame, a sleeve shaft connected to said firstmentionedshaft, a motor for driving said shafts, and means for independentlyconnecting said shafts to said motor, disks connected to said shafts andadapted to be driven thereby, and wings connected to said disks andadapted to be operated thereby.

6. In a iying machine, the combination with-a frame, of a shaftrotatably supported in said frame, a driving member rotatably supportedon said shaft and having clutch faces thereon, a clutch on said shaft,means for forcing said clutch into engagement with one of said clutchfaces, a shaft connected to said first-mentioned shaft, means forconnecting said last-mentioned clutch with the other of said clutchfaces, disks secured to said shaft, andv wings connected to said disksand adapted to bedriven thereby.

7. In a flying machine, the combination with a frame, of a pair of wingsconnected to said frame on opposite sides thereof, blades rotatablyConnected to said wings, gears connected to said blades, and racks onsaid frame adapted to rotate said gears so as to swing said bladesintermittently through angles of 90 degrees.

8. In a flying machine, the combination with a frame, of wheels forrotatably supporting said frame on the ground, a supportingplane on saidframe, disks rotatably connected to said frame, wings connected to saiddisks and adapted to be operated thereby, blades rotatably supported bysaid wings, means for operating said disks, and means for positivelyrotating said blades to swing from a horizontal to a vertical positionduring the motion of said wings.

9. In a liying machine, the combination with a frame, of wings forraising said machine in the air, pivotally connected to said frame so asto swing or beat, and means for adjustably connecting said wings atvariable distances from their pivotal connection with said frame, sothat t-he magnitude of the swing or beat of said wings can be varied.

10. In a flying machine, the combination with a frame, of a variety ofwings for raising said machine in the air movably mount ed on said frameto swing or beat, and adjustable connections between each of said wingsand said frame, whereby said wings can be moved to Variable distanceswith respect to their point of connection with said frame, and can beadjusted to maintain different relative positions with respect to eachother.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of. two subscribing witnesses.

MENZO lVI. BENSTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN CAMPBELL, LEE I. PIERCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

(Ill

